Only Once
by Invader Ran
Summary: [...what are you gonna do to me? ] A collection of drabbles, all 29 centric. Spans preCoM to KHII. [XigbarxDemyx, other implied pairings]. Rating subject to change.
1. Sea Foam Scales

Only Once

Why? Because I can. Anyway, a lot of my friends know that Xigbar x Demyx is my current Kingdom Hearts OTP; I'm on a XigDem spree right now. And I came up with this idea partially out of nowhere and partially based on a Kingdom Hearts roleplay I did with my friend that had a lot of XigDem implications.

This is more or less just a drabble collection that revolves around the plotlines of _Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories_ and _Kingdom Hearts 2_, and also the plotline of the actual fic. Xigbar x Demyx is the main pairing, and there are hints of other pairings. Nothing too blatant, except in Axel's case, haha. He's not too subtle o.o;

(And for future reference, any chapter titles written in parentheses indicate that the chapter contains mature content. This will be written on both the actual chapter jump icons AND at the top of the page, so don't go bitching to me about how I didn't warn you.)

The _Kingdom Hearts _series and its associated characters, locations, etc., belong to Square Enix and Disney.

* * *

I. Sea Foam Scales 

The first thing Xigbar had noticed about the Organization's ninth and newest member was that he was wet when Xemnas and Saïx brought him into the castle.

And that he was a goddamn FISH from the waist-down.

It didn't take long for the other members to come out and see who or what was "dripping" down the hallway.

"I saw this man in Atlantica when he was attacked by a Heartless and killed," Xemnas explained, with the same monotone voice as Xigbar and the others had come to expect from him, "His Other faded into darkness, and this is all that remained of him. He seemed to withstand it well enough, so he should be a...usable member of the Organization."

"What exactly are we going to do about that, Superior?" Vexen asked, examining the Nobody's fin in curiosity.

"I am certain that it will disappear and be replaced with legs in time. If not we'll terminate him," Xemnas replied, paying no real attention to the Nobody Saïx had carelessly slung over his arms. Xigbar couldn't remember The Superior treating the other two Organization neophytes so haphazardly. Especially not Saïx, his little "prodigy."

"So who gets to take care of our little Fishy?" Axel said, snickering.

"It's not of great importance who's chosen; we only need to keep watch over him until he awakens," Xemnas replied.

And so, in a matter of minutes (or more accurately, in a bloodless battle of numbers III-VII vs. II), Xigbar had been elected to take the new member to his quarters and look after him. Vexen, who was busy working on a new project of his (even as they discussed the subject; he was holding a small--and completely unidentifiable-- gizmo in one hand and a wrench in the other), had immediately left after wishing Xigbar luck; the slight chuckle in his voice was a sure indicator of his intent. Xemnas eased the unconscious neophyte off of Saïx's shoulder and into Xigbar's arms. Xigbar stumbled with the dead weight before regaining his balance, hoisting him in an almost bridal-style hold.

"Does he have an assigned name yet?" Xigbar asked The Superior, who paused for a moment before replying.

"Emyd has lost his name to the Darkness. His name is now Demyx. You can tell it to him when he wakes up."

* * *

When Xigbar had gotten tired of watching the kid hog his bed, he got up and started shooting at the target hanging on the wall of his room. The center of the bullseye was splintered and hardly recognizable; on account of how many times he had hit it spot on (as he liked to brag).

"Good God, I wish Xemnas would at least put me out of my misery and give me a mission or something!" he fumed to himself, firing repeatedly at the wall without really aiming. Even though he knew this technically was his mission, he was bored, and he was pissed. And most Nobodies in the castle knew that such a combination wasn't good, particularly for anybody who happened to be walking past II's room.

Three bullets had burrowed into his wall, the only one remotely close to the target board hitting the space above the nail it hung on. One had snuck through his ajar door, barely missing VI. The youth stuck his head in the room and, with a rather peeved expression, said, "Kindly watch where you aim those atrocities, II."

Xigbar rolled his eyes as Zexion continued down the hall with a flip of his hair. _Damn pretentious little snot. Hope Xaldin decides to give him a much-needed "trim" one'a these days..._

He was interrupted in his scheming by a slight stirring coming from his bed. The kid was finally coming to! Thank God, his "mission" would be over soon. The Freeshooter dismissed his guns and strode over to his bed, leaning down to nudge the neophyte's shoulder. "C'mon, kid. Naptime's over."

The kid's eyes finally began to flutter. Xigbar caught a glimpse of blue eyes before he was sent backward slightly. Xigbar's mission, the new member, hadn't quite realized that he no longer had gills. He gasped for "breath" and was clearly in a state of panic.

"Hey, Sushi boy, calm down! You gotta breathe air now!" Xigbar said loudly, taking a firm grasp on the younger's shoulders. Finally he seemed to calm down.

"I...where am I?" The first time Xigbar had heard the boy speak was no surprise: his voice was frail and shaky, a clear indicator of his fear. The tone of his voice was strong but relatively high, exposing his "age." Xigbar guessed he had been in his early 20s, maybe even younger. The hairstyle certainly wasn't adding on any years, for sure.

"I can tell ya you're not in Atlantica anymore."

His eyes widened at this. He glanced around the white bedroom, and indeed saw that he didn't recognize his surroundings. He flung the covers back as well, and gasped when he saw his fin had been replaced with two human legs. "But...what happened? Those creatures attacking..." he trailed off and looked up at Xigbar pleadingly. "Am I...am I _dead_?"

The Freeshooter sneered. "Yeah, you wish. You're a Nobody. Got any clue what that is, Sushi?"

"Don't call me that!" the neophyte cried with a scowl. "I have a name!"

"Not your old one, you don't. Your name's Demyx now." At the confused look he received in response, Xigbar sighed. "You got your Atlantican ass killed by a Heartless, but you had a strong enough will so your body's been returned to ya. Sorta."

"But, I'm not Dem--"

"Ya ain't Emyd anymore, either. You're lucky we picked ya up anyway, else you'd be screwed."

"...But..." He leaned forward, shakily bending his knees and leaning against them. "My family...my friends...and Calder..."

Xigbar admitted that the kid was most likely having difficulty accepting his new life. He was familiar with seeing such a reaction. When Axel had to abandon Lae, he went berserk; nearly tore apart Vexen's room. Maybe they just didn't make Nobodies as tough as they used to...

"Sorry, kid. They're probably all dead."

He was mortified. His blue eyes widened for an instant, and then his whole body seemed to shrink. He rested his head against his new knees and sobbed loudly. Xigbar kept his gaze to the side, knowing that the kid couldn't cry no matter how hard he tried. Xemnas had been explicit on the fact that Nobodies were not capable of actual tears.

He persevered still, trying to force the tears out. Finally he seemed to accept that they weren't coming and he straightened his posture, his gaze towards the floor.

"I'm gonna tell the Superior you're awake and get you a robe. I suggest you try putting those new legs'a yours to work," Xigbar finally stated, striding towards his door. "Welcome to The Organization, number IX."

"I thought my name was Demyx."

"You get a name and a number."

"This feels like a prison."

"Prison or not, this is your home now. Try to buck up a little," Xigbar said, not really feeling his own words. He knew that Demyx had very little to "buck up" about in the future. With that, he left his room, and the newly christened Nobody, and headed for the Superior's quarters.

* * *


	2. Modus Operandi

As you'll see, I'm gonna be pretty liberal with information that's not backed up by _Kingdom Hearts_ canon, e.g. information about Organization members VII-XII's past lives, their original names, etc. Other than that, I will try to do my best to stay true to canon. If anyone finds any errors in my information, please don't hesitate to review/PM me and correct these errors.

The _Kingdom Hearts_ series and its associated characters, locations, etc., belong to Square Enix and Disney.

* * *

II. Modus Operandi

"Superior? It's II; I have news regarding the kid."

With a slight flick of his wrist, the grand doors of the meeting hall edged open with a deafening groan. Xigbar strode in and stood in the center of the circle formed by the thrones and faced Xemnas. "What is it?" Xemnas asked.

"Number IX's finally up. An' the fin's gone. Just need to get him a robe and bring him here once he can walk well enough."

"I would prefer that this take place sooner rather than later," The Superior replied, intertwining his fingers lazily. "We need to hurry the next step of the process for him."

"Why's that?"

"...He's a young Nobody, based on the time of his 'death.' The only one younger than him is VI, and I would merely like to...test the difference in their ability to develop their power." His voice was calm, and calculating.

Xigbar resisted an urge to sneer. Xemnas was always doing this kind of thing: putting the newest members through excruciating little "games" to test their willpower. It was all for the cause of finding their newly acquired power, which Xigbar admitted was worthy enough for him to care about. Though comparing this new kid to Zexion seemed a bit unjust, seeing as Zexion's case was weighed down with Xehanort's nepotism towards Ienzo.

Also, though he personally disliked criticizing the Nobodies this early in the game, he didn't think IX would get by with playing favorites and intelligence.

"I'll go get a uniform for him, try an' drag him down to the Hall," Xigbar said with a nod, turning around briskly to leave. Xemnas' eyes followed him to the exit, his body otherwise unmoving. The instant that the doors slowly closed, another member appeared in a swirl of darkness, taking his seat in the seventh chair.

Saïx gave a nod to Xemnas and glanced at the doors. "I see you did not give him permission to be dismissed, Superior."

"Eventually you shall learn how superiority plays into this Organization. Those who have proved themselves in my presence need not wait for me to give such a simple dismissal," Xemnas explained, not casting any kind of look towards the Luna Diviner. "Of course, anything else comes directly from me. Such as my instruction for II to take control of making sure any new Nobodies we allow into the Organization are adequate enough." He ended his small monologue with a curt nod.

"I see..."

"Did you have something you wished to tell me, VII?"

Saïx cast a look downward. He was still unaccustomed to being called by a number, especially by the Superior. "The Hall of Empty Melodies is ready to test IX. Lexaeus instructed me to pass this on." He kept his voice strong and monotone. While Saïx had been in the Organization for a relatively longer time than the other member...well, now _members_ of the Organization that weren't a part of the original six, he couldn't help but speculate that he was being utilized as no more than a convenient messenger.

Though he could not actually experience it, he recognized the feeling.

Isolation.

"Is that all you wish to tell me?"

The languid yet piercing voice of the Superior drew Saïx from his thoughts. "Yes, Sir. That's all."

"Very well, you may go," Xemnas replied with a nonchalant wave of his hand. Saïx nodded and materialized out of the room with one final thought on his mind:

_I will not let myself become useless to The Superior. I'll prove my worth here yet_.

* * *

Xigbar swung open the door to his room, a new black robe draped over one arm, holding the boots in the other. "All right, kid, naked party's over." 

Demyx was on one side of Xigbar's bed, holding onto the rail as he tried to walk. He had taken the only pillow out of the pillowcase and was now using said case as a makeshift loincloth. He glared at the Freeshooter; learning how to walk was no party by any stretch of the imagination. "I can't figure out how to make these...leg things work! How do you humans put up with them?" he cried, the sheer force of his words seeming to throw him off balance even more.

"You'll get used to 'em," Xigbar replied nonchalantly, striding over to Demyx and shoving the uniform into his arms. "Get dressed quickly." When the neophyte didn't respond, only stared blankly at the lump of fabric in his arms, Xigbar raised his eyebrow. "...What?"

"Um...what am I supposed to do about...?" He trailed off and pointed at his "underwear." Xigbar would be needing the pillowcase back...

"What're you talking about? We're all naked under these things."

"!!!! Wha--?!"

Xigbar laughed heartily, baring his fanglike teeth in a cocky grin. "I'm kiddin'! It's all there, relax." Demyx actually sighed in relief and turned himself around to sit on the bed, about to pull the pillowcase off again when he looked up at the Freeshooter once more. "...What, you shy?" The crimson that quickly swept over Demyx's face quickly answered Xigbar's question, and was received with another chuckle. "Fine, fine, I'll turn around."

Once he did so, Demyx's shoulders hunched forward as if he'd let out a deep breath he was holding. He unknotted the pillowcase from around his waist and dropped it on the bed atop Xigbar's pillow. "Might wanna wash that."

"Hnn," Xigbar responded with a noncommittal grunt.

Demyx grinned sheepishly and glanced at the undergarments. "Um...how am I supposed to put these on?"

"You've never seen underwear before?"

"I've been a fish for nineteen years! How am I supposed to know what you humans wear to keep your...you-know-what hidden!" he exclaimed, blushing again.

"Just slip yer feet in the holes and pull up. And make sure the wider part's coverin' your ass otherwise you're gonna be hella uncomfy."

Demyx's eyes widened a little in sheer confusion, but he managed to get the underpants (and pants) on with no casualties.

"Put the gloves on before the coat. It's hell trying to get them on over it."

"What are you, my mother? I have some common sense."

"Ya know, I'm your superior now. So you can't talk to me like that."

Demyx didn't respond to that with anything but a sigh of disillusionment. This was going to take some getting used to. He set the large black boots on the floor at his feet and slid into them carefully, wiggling his toes a little. He smiled to himself and continued, amused by what these "feet" could be for entertainment.

"You decent yet?" Xigbar growled in irritation at hearing the new member chuckling to himself.

Demyx opened his mouth to say something snarky, but managed to pause and stop himself. "...Yes," he muttered.

"Good, so hurry it up already."

* * *

The Hall of Empty Melodies was bare, save for Lexaeus and Xemnas perched at the top of the balcony overlooking the great hall. Demyx and Xigbar stumbled through a portal into the center of the Hall, the younger looking a little queasy. 

"Portal-sick, are we?" Xigbar joked, lightly slapping Demyx on the back, earning a grunt from him.

"It may take you some time to conjure up your own portal, new one, but you will learn soon enough," Lexaeus said calmly, his deep voice projecting without any trouble. Demyx glanced up at the slightly overbearing Nobody but smiled a bit. Maybe not everyone was so bitter...

"Number IX. I am Xemnas, the Superior of this Organization. Under my supervision, we are going to run a few trials to see if you have a power worth developing," the Superior declared. He hardly glanced down at Demyx, too enamored by his own monologue.

"'Trials?'" Demyx whimpered, glancing at Xigbar nervously. The Freeshooter cast him another cocky grin.

"Relax, kid. S'nothing horrible. We just look at yer background and see what element ya might be suited for."

"...So what can you do?"

Xigbar blinked his one visible eye and hesitated. Five words...and he'd said them so earnestly. He wasn't used to a new Nobody being so interested in him.

Well, he had a feeling this kid, Demyx, would be different right off the bat. He grinned with a little more benevolence and patted his head. "Tell ya what. Once this is all over with I'll give you a little demo. Deal?"

Demyx's face lit up. "Okay, deal!"

Xemnas sighed, growing weary of the exchange below him. "II, if you're quite finished..."

Xigbar shot a glance up at the Superior and nodded, opening another portal and emerging on the other side next to Xemnas.

"S-So...what are you gonna do to me?" Demyx asked with a slight waver in his voice, looking up at Xemnas imploringly.

Xemnas paused briefly, then said, "It is as I said before, IX. This is designed to attempt to bring out your abilities." He gave a meaningful look towards Lexaeus.

Lexaeus cleared his throat and proceeded to explain. "In accordance to previous Nobody abilities, we've found that in most cases our abilities are directly or indirectly connected to our previous lives. Since you, Demyx, existed once as a citizen of Atlantica, it's doubtless that your element will relate to water somehow."

Demyx nodded dumbly. _Makes sense, I guess..._

"...And the way we try to coax that power out, if possible, is to find an opposing element and pit you against it."

_Pit__ me against it?!_ Demyx's eyes widened a little in shock and he glanced around nervously. "Then...does that mean, if I'm water, I'm being attacked by--"

"Fire? Oh, hell, I've been waiting for this."

The newest member jumped again at the new voice in the room: slightly nasally, with a cockier tone than Xigbar's. He wheeled around (carefully, as he was still growing accustomed to the legs) to see another man in a black cloak standing on the opposite end of the hall. He pulled his hood off, revealing a shock of spiky red hair, vibrant green eyes and a devious grin.

Xemnas allowed himself a small smile. "VIII, this is IX, Demyx. He will be your subject."

The redhead's smile only grew as he conjured up a ball of flame in each hand. Demyx let out a surprised yelp as the fire rapidly transformed into two sharp, circular weapons.

"Pleased to meet ya, Mullet Boy. Name's Axel. Ready to defend your scrawny little ass?"

* * *


End file.
